Apparatus for cleaning sand filter beds and the like



'Febl 25, 1930; J. PEEBLES APPARATUS FOR CLEAN INC: SAND FILTER BEDS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 25, 1930. J PEEBLES APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SAND FILTER BEDS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 23, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d ll, A \x g "IIIIIIIIJ f'UNITEDiSTATE-S PATENT OFFICE JAMES PEEBLEs, or naLRYMPLE, SCOTLAND APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SAND FILTER BEDS AND THE LIKE' Application filed August 23, 1928, Serial No. 801,655, and in Great Britain August 23, 1927."

This invention relates to apparatus for ing a partition between the clean and the cleaning sand or other comminutedmaterialin dirty water sections. filter beds and the like and has for an object For cleaning filters of the pressure type toprovide means whereby the dirty and the cleaning apparatus may be mounted for heavily coated sand or the like forming the rotation on a vertical axis. 1

upper stratum of the bed may be effectively In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a cleaned independently of the body sand, thus vertical longitudinal section showing a filter preventing the formation of cracks, mudbed cleaning apparatus; Fig. 2 is'a vertical balls and clogged areas at the surface of thesection at right-angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bed. fragmentary detail view of the cleaning apso In a sand filter bed which is cleaned by paratus drawn to a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a agitation with air and/0r water introduced ragmentary detail plan View, part horizonfrom an under drain the upper stratum of tal section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3; the bed is so remote from the region of agi- Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a r tation that itis notcompletely broken up slightly modified construction. '65 and often coagulates, to form clogged areas Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes each liable to occasion surface cracks and crevices of abattery of juxtaposed rectangular filter so that when filtration is restarted the water beds confined between side walls 2 and end traverses the cracks and crevices in conse- Walls 3 (Fig. 1)'.

20. quence of which the filtration efficiency of A apt t0 1111. 1! rails 4 laid on top 0f-70 the b d is impaired by reductio of eff ti the side walls 2 is a wheeled carriage 5 carfiltration area. tying a pump 6 and driving motor 7, which Apparatus according to the invention in'- pump'ls adapted when in operation to draw cludes a structure movable on the filter bed Water byw y ffl -i H pipe 8 (Fig.2 )from or the like and sustaining means for scoopone filter bed and to discharge said water by 7 ing up the surface of the sand or the like, w y exl l plpe t0 apipe '10 extending means for impelling jets of water against transversely of the ad oining filter bed and the and or th like so o d d i fitted with spaced renewable nozzles 11.

pact-receiving means on which the jets ofh pm 1 1S spa ed forwardly of and water d i d ith d or th lik i ing carried by a transverse bar 12 connected by whereby coagulated masses of sand r th 1 arms 13 to the rear axle 14 of the carriage 5,

like are.di integ ted,' the pipe 10 and bar 12-being adapted to be The movable structure may be constituted swung about e axis of i le 14 by means,

by a carriage travelling on rails and carrying Shown, by y m y be f into a pump with driving motor, which l tt may and out of operatlve posit on as required.

serve also to propel the carriage, the delivery The P m 71th $P ollfices side of the pump bing in communication each of which 1s disposed opposite a nozzle 11 with conduit-suspended from the carriage and fitted with a renewable bush 10 presenting a convergent opening 18. ggg gggp gg g g i if g figg gfi gizg s Secured to the lower face of the bar 12 is 1 a scoop plate 16 adapted 'whenthe bar is 3 m the carnage leuts Water. dehvered by lowered into operative position, to dig into 9 P PP- the surface of the sand as shown in Figs. 1

g The 1mpact-rece1v1ng means may be con- 3 and o 45 s i fi y a Plate l g d j f h 'Spaced from the bar 12 and carried thereby carnage and Presentmg concavltles 111 5 is an impact plate 16 presenting concavities ter with the n zzl 17 facin the deliver 0 enin s 18 Impurities in the. surface sand may be b the bg h 1 5 P i presented. swept towards drains while clean water en- In the modified constructionshown in Fig.

5 ters the bed, the travelling apparatus sustain- 5 the bar-12 and the impact plate 16 are surplate 19 being slightly is started and the carriage is traversed slowly in the direction indicated by the arrow A from the front to the rear end of the filter bed.

The jets of water-issuing from the nozzles 11 carry the sand scooped up by'the plate l6 through the openings 18 and cause it forcibly to impinge on the concave faces 17 of the impact plate 16' whereby the coagulated masses of surface sand are thoroughly disintegrated, the sand falling on to the surface of the bed through the gap between the bar 12 and the plate 16.

It will be understood that in the forward movement of the apparatus, i. e., movement in the direction indicated by the arrow A, impurities contained in the surface sand are swept towards the filter bed drain 21 (Fig. 1) clean water entering by way of the inlet 22 positioned at the opposite end of the filter In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the wall plates 19, 19 form a partition between the clean water section and the dirty water section, the plate 19 being located on the clean water side so that in the forward movement of the apparatus the only escape for the clean Water is over the upper edge of the plate.

19' or past the endsof the apparatus.

When the carriage has reached the rear end of the filter bed the pipe 10 and arm 12 may be swung upwardly clear of the 'bed and the carriage moved back to the front end of the bed ready for another cleaning traverse.

' In order that one apparatus may serve a battery of filter beds there isprovided a bogie 23(Fig. 1) adapted to run on rails 24'eXtending transversely of the filter beds, said bogie carrying rails 25 adapted to be brought into 5 may be run back on the bogie 23 and trans ported to a position opposite another filter 50 b d 1 vergent openings, a scoop fitted to said bar for scooping up the surfa of the eomminuted bed material, a pump sustained by said carriagefa connection for leading water from one-0f said beds to said pump, a pipe connected'to the delivery side of said pump, nozsaid carriage, a connection for leading water from one of said beds to said, pump, a pipe connected to the delivery side of said pump, nozzles fitted to said last mentioned pipe in register with said convergent openings, and wall plates sustained by said bar and defining a partition separating the water above the cleaned comminuted material and the water above the eomminuted material to be cleaned.

3. Apparatus for cleaning sand or other eomminuted material in a filter bed having an outlet at one end, including a carriage movable over said bed towards said outlet, a bar sustained by said carriage and presenting convergent openings, a scoop fitted to'said bar for scooping up the surface of the comminuted bed material, a pump sustained by said carriage, a connection for leading water to said pump, a pipe connected to the delivery side of said pump, nozzles fittedto said lastmentioned pipe in register with said convergent openings, anda pair of, Wall plates sustained by said bar and defining a partition separating the water above the cleaned comminuted material and the water above the eomminuted material to be cleaned, the wall. plate remote from said. outlet extending ,to a higher level than the wall plate nearer said outlet. register with the rails 4 so that the carriage In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

" W w JAMES PEEBLES.

As will be understood, after the upper stratum of the bed has been cleaned by the apparatus described the body sandmay be washed with ease by agitation with air and /or water, it being readily understood that the surface of the sand then presents an equitable" area forpassage of the air and water.

What I claim'is: 1. Apparatus for cleaning sand or other eomminuted material in fillter beds including a carriage movable over said beds, a bar sustained by said carriage msenting con- 

